ROTHERHAM UTD - NEW YORK STADIUM
DIRECTIONS AND CAR PARKING
From the North:
Leave the M1 at Junction 34 and take the A6178 towards Rotherham. At the third roundabout called Ickles Roundabout take the first exit onto the A630 Centenary Way (signposted Doncaster), you will see the stadium on your right. You will pass the floodlights of Millmoor on your left and at the next roundabout (called the Masbrough roundabout with the Liquid night club on one corner) turn right onto Main Street and the entrance to the stadium is down on the right.
From the South:
Leave the M1 at Junction 33 and take the A630 towards Rotherham. After around two miles and crossing over three roundabouts you will reach the stadium on your right. You will pass the floodlights of Millmoor on your left and at the next roundabout (called the Masbrough roundabout with the Liquid night club on one corner) turn right onto Main Street and the entrance to the stadium is down on the right.
Car Parking
Car parking at the stadium is for permit holders only. However there are a number of pay & display car parks located around the town centre. Otherwise there is some street parking available around the area of the Millmoor ground, which is around a 15 minute walk away from the visitors turnstiles. There is a multi storey car park located next to the Interchange Bus Station which costs £2.80 for four hours.
Post Code for Sat-Nav: S60 1QY (this is the post code of the nearby Police Station on Main Street)
BY TRAIN
The nearest railway station is Rotherham Central which only a five minute walk from the stadium. The stadium is located almost directly behind the railway station. As you come out of the main station entrance turn right along Bridge Street. Opposite the Bridge Inn is a footpath that goes along one side of the River Don. Walk along this footpath until you reach a car park and then head towards the car park entrance. Then turn left going up over the bridge across the river and then take the next right into Market Street. At the bottom of Market Street turn right into Main Street and the stadium entrance is down this road on the left.
PUBS FOR AWAY FANS
Bridge InnThere are a number of pubs in the nearby town centre, which are only a few minutes walk from the stadium. These include three Wetherspoon pubs. One of these; the Bluecoat (on the Crofts) is also CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed, whilst closer to the railway station is the Rhinoceros. These pubs though tend to have more a home feel about them. A better bet may be the Bridge Inn, which is located quite close to the railway station (turn right out of the station and the pub is across the road on the left). This pub which is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide serves beers from the Old Mill Brewery as well as guest beers and a real cider. This pub was welcoming towards away fans on my visit and it wasn't too bad to get served inside.
Colin Hall a visiting Leicester City fan adds; 'We discovered the Cutlers Arms on Westgate (turn right off the Main Street), which turned out to be a most welcoming and hospitable tavern. It had a mixture of home and away fans and sold beers from the local Chantry’s brewery'. Also nearby along Westgate is the New York Tavern, which also serves Chantry's beers.
Alcohol is also available inside the stadium in the form of: Fosters and John Smiths (Both £3.40 a pint), Bulmers (£3.20 a bottle), plus Red, White and Rose wines (£4 small bottle).
If travelling by train and changing at Sheffield station, then on the station itself (Platform 1) is the Sheffield Tap which serves real ales and is run by the Thornbridge Brewery (please note though that no football colours are allowed).
WHAT IS THE NEW YORK STADIUM LIKE?
Main ReceptionAfter spending four years at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, the Club have returned home to Rotherham. The new stadium, which cost in the region of £20m to build, is located close to their old Millmoor ground where they played for 101 years. The area of Rotherham where the ground is located is historically known as New York (hence the stadium name) and is built on the site of the old Guest & Chrimes factory. Set beside the River Don, the stadium from the outside looks far larger than its 12,000 capacity and is quite striking in its design. It is totally enclosed and all seated.
On one side is the Eric Twigg Foods Pukka Pies (West) Stand. This is the largest of the four single tiered stands. It is unusual in so much that the middle seated area of the stand is situated at a lower level than either of the wings. There is an executive area above this with seating outside and yet further above is a television gantry, set into the red paneled wall. The other sides of the stadium are much smaller in size. Both ends are virtually identical, except that the Mears (South) Stand has a small electric scoreboard situated at the back of it. On the remaining side is the Ben Bennett (East) Stand, which is slightly less taller than both the ends. This simple looking stand has two large areas built into the front of the stand for the use of disabled supporters. There is a large video screen situated in the North West corner.
The most interesting feature inside the stadium is the roof. This descends down from the West Stand over the ends is large 'steps' eventually meeting the East Stand. A large amount of transparent perspex has been used in the roof to allow more light to reach the playing surface and improve their overall look. On the roof of the East Stand are two futuristic looking floodlight pylons that are supplemented by a row of lights above the West Stand.
In November 2014 the stadium was renamed the AESSEAL New York Stadium in a five year corporate sponsorship deal.
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR VISITING SUPPORTERS?
Away Supporters SignAway fans are normally housed in the Mears Stand at one end of the stadium, where around 2,500 supporters can be accommodated. If only a small away following is expected then part of the Ben Bennett Stand (towards the Mears South Stand) is allocated instead. The stadium has electronic turnstiles meaning that you have to insert your tickey into a reader to gain admission. Cash is not accepted at the turnstiles and tickets for the away section can be purchased from the dedicated away ticket office at the back of the Morrison Stand.
As you would expect from a new stadium the facilities and views of the playing action are generally good. The angle of the Mears Stand is quite steep, meaning that it is a bit of a hike to get to the top. On the concourse the food and drink available includes: a range of Pukka Pies (Chicken Balti, Meat & Potato, Steak & Kidney, Cheese & Onion, all £3), Pasties (£3), Jumbo Sausage Rolls (£2.50), Hot Dogs (£3.70), Cheeseburgers (£3.70) and Burgers (£3.70). These are available from two refreshment kiosks on the concourse. I noticed that most fans tended to head to the kiosk closest to the entrance turnstiles, resulting in queues at this outlet whilst the other had few or no customers.
The stewards were generally laid back and friendly and I thought it was a nice touch that smokers were allowed to go outside the stadium for a cigarette at half time. There is also a large television screen on the concourse showing Sky Sports. The stadium turnstiles are equipped with automatic turnstiles (where you insert your ticket into a bar code reader) but these don't yet seem to be in operation. My only real criticism was that I could hardly make out a single word that the stadium announcer said and that the bottom of my pie was burnt! Plus there didn't seem that there were any barriers in place at the front of the away section to prevent away fans entering the home sections. I know that this is normally not a worry, but in a more highly charged game....
Unlike most new stadiums which are situated way out of town in the middle of nowhere, the New York Stadium is located close to the town centre. This not only means good transport links, but also a fair choice of eating and drinking outlets.